POST ON YOUR DREAMBOARD…
Viewing erupting volcanoes in Sicily is totally a thing. Have you seen the recent news about Mount Etna? This Sicilian beauty is well known for her temper and this week she let loose in glorious style. Experts say that there were fountains of lava rising 1,500 meters into the air, and although there was ash floating down onto the houses in nearby towns, there was no threat to any of the local population (thank you, fire gods!). I’d love to be watching these natural fireworks from a very safe distance — perhaps on a rooftop patio with focaccia and a Spritz. You can hike Etna, take a car, or also take a helicopter. Sicily has multiple other volcanoes, like on the Aeolian Islands. I once took a boat to watch midnight eruptions of Stromboli and it was beyond magical.
WHAT WE’RE LOVING RIGHT NOW
One of my favorite places in Florence is the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. This Perfumery and Apothecary has been a successfully running business for over 400 years. I love taking clients here because it has the vibe of walking into a chapel — people whisper, exhale, wander, and enjoy. On ancient wooden and marble cabinets are fragrances, candles, creams, soaps, oils, and other heavenly luxe-life essentials. Every birthday I buy my husband the Florentine Tobacco cologne. Everything is made in Italy, as it has been for the last four centuries. Want to get your hands on some of these goods for free? We’re actually gifting YOU these special products in our new referral program. Simply sharing this email with your friends will collect referral points, and they add up to some nifty gifts. Stay tuned for next week’s issue of The Edit, where we’ll tell you how it’s all going to go down.
MANGIAMO
Ok, back to Sicily. The youngest chef to win a Michelin star lives on Salina Island (she won Italian Female Chef of the Year in 2019), and you can eat at her gorgeous restaurant (run by her family) and even join a cooking class she teaches in the open-air kitchen. The image above is of our clients on our Sicily Tour — we get a cooking class from Martina and our clients RAVE about it. Of course we eat at the restaurant too, and this is such a special experience as an island getaway. Sicilian food incorporates almond, carob pods, capers, and Malvasia wine. This video sums up all the beauty of this area and we love treating our Sicily tour clients with this special place on the planet.
(Photo: Danielle Rubi)
WISH WE WERE HERE
There’s a village called Tellaro in Liguria. It’s a “land’s end” kind of place, ‘cause the road doesn’t pass through there — it ends there. It’s been listed as one of the “Borghi Piu Belli” a sort of competition throughout Italy listing the most beautiful villages. A perfect day for me is visiting my sister-in-law’s shop in Lerici, called Siamo Fritti, getting her amazing takeaway, heading to the beach called Fiascherino and spending a full day under a beach umbrella (the water there is to die for!). And then I’d wander down the road to Tellaro for an early dinner, still with salt on my skin, all sandy and sandalled, sitting in the piazza. Ah, that’s the good life my friends! (And what I love is that this is accessible for most, because what I described is an entire day of pleasure for under 40 euros.)
And speaking about accessibility, this is my chance to plug my opportunity to work with me this year for a rate that will never be seen again. I believe everyone is sitting on a business idea, they just need help bringing it into the world. Create something great for yourself (like I did with Italian Fix, with no money, no rich parents, and no previous experience). Send me an email with the subject “Bring on my business” and I’ll tell you more about our application dates and small group experience.
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Have something you want to share with Italian Fix readers? Click here — we’re looking for your best memories, photos, recipes, trials, and tribulations. We’ll feature the snazziest tips in upcoming editions.
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With love + focaccia,
Bianca
